Are you hearing something moving around in your home late at night? While we can’t rule out the possibility of ghosts, it could be a sign of pest activity.
Amongst the variety of invasive wildlife pests found here in Florida, house mice are one of the more common culprits. If left unchecked, these troublesome pests can cause all manner of problems.
What exactly are house mice? How can I identify them?
House mice are one of the most widespread species in the genus Mus. As adults, they grow to around 7 inches in length (including the tail) and weigh somewhere between 10-30 grams. Their fur coloration can vary depending on the region, but it is typically gray, brown, or black in color.
The first sign of mouse activity in your home is often noise. Mice will make noise late at night as they explore the home. Due to their small size, they may move beneath floorboards, vents, or through the wall. Also, you may notice small, rod-shaped excrement left behind in areas where they are more active. If you spot a dead or living mouse, it is rarely a solitary case, and you can expect more to be lurking somewhere in the home.
Why do house mice enter my home?
House mice are extremely curious creatures, and this can lead them to your home in search of food and water. House mice prefer to eat seeds, nuts, and grains, but when necessary, they will consume almost any food source. This, combined with their low need for water, makes them capable of surviving in almost any environment.
Though they can be drawn to your home by random chance, other factors can make your home a much more likely target for mice and other wildlife infestation. House mice are sometimes drawn into the home due to habitat displacement, which is when their natural nesting sites become unlivable due to some environmental change. Habitat displacement can occur due to innumerable reasons, but two of the most common are weather events and new construction.
New developments or remodeling can sometimes place homes in close proximity to wildlife populations, and those populations may move into your home should their natural ecosystem be disturbed. For example, heavy rains and flooding are often followed by an uptick in pest activity due to wildlife and insect pests seeking refuge inside homes.
Are house mice destructive?
House mice, like other wildlife pests, often carry bacteria and pathogens. For this reason, they may contaminate areas that they occupy around the home. Further, house mice often use materials from their local environment to build nests, and this can result in them gnawing on wiring, insulation, and other materials in the home. The resultant damage could create a fire hazard and sometimes necessitate costly repairs.
Though not as destructive as some other pests, a large house mouse infestation is no joke. A downside of DIY traps is that they can only deal with mice who are exploring the home. This is often insufficient to eradicate the nest or to seal the access point the mice used to get into your home. For this reason, the most effective treatment for mice is a multi-step approach involving a combination of traps, inspections, and exclusion techniques. This allows you to deal with the current pest problem and to ensure that a new one does not occur in the future. If you are suspicious of potential pest activity, your best option is to call in a licensed pest professional to inspect your home and identify any signs of mouse activity.
If you are a Panama City homeowner, we here at Arrow Pest Service would like to be your one call solution for any pest problems!
We are an industry leader in pest control, and this has given us the expertise that we need to safely and effectively tackle any current or future pest threats to your home! In fact, we are so confident that we can deal with the pests in your home, all of our treatment services come backed by our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee! This means that, if you are not fully satisfied with your treatment services, you won’t pay a penny!
So if you need a fast, effective, and reliable pest control service, call us today at 850-204-0318!
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